Reviewer: Tracy
Brennus (Immortal Highlander: Clan Skaraven #1) by Hazel Hunter

Publication Date: March 26, 2018
Format: eARC
Point-of-View: Third Person
Genres: Historical Romance, Paranormal Romance, Time Travel
Pages: 386
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An ancient highlander who’s never been allowed to love. A modern woman who keeps men at arm’s length. Can their passion overcome their pasts?

Althea Jarden’s botanical fieldwork keeps her happily busy, but it has kept her from relationships as well—by design. Because deep passions can overwhelm her, she concluded long ago that a conventional life was not for her. Instead she’s learned to depend on herself. But all the self-reliance in the world can’t prepare her for being to abducted to ancient Scotland and what she finds there.

Chieftain Brennus Skaraven would like nothing better than to remain dead, his legendary clan buried and forgotten. Anything would be preferable to suffering the manipulations of the druids. But when a strange lass comes crashing into his life, he discovers more than a reason to live. He finds the one thing that had always been denied to him and his kind—love.

Brennus is a Skaraven warrior.  He and his fellow warriors were slaves to the druids until they died 12 centuries ago.  They’ve been brought back to life and made immortal by the druids to help fight evil druids who are planning on decimating the planet.  Brennus, the Chieftain of the clan, refuses to let his men be pawns in the druid’s games any longer.

Althea and 4 other women are sucked through time by the evil druids and held captive.  Starved and tortured, Althea knows that she must escape and find help. She receives that help from Brennus and while they’re plotting to save the other women, they spend a lot of time together.  They get closer and soon are falling for each other.  Brennus, however, was never allowed near a woman unless he was tied to a bed for fear that he would hurt her.  He’s concerned about Althea, but he’s not willing to be without her.

This is a related book to the Immortal Highlander series.  I enjoyed that series so when I saw this book I was definitely interested.  In the previous series each of the “mates” came through at different times.  This is different as all five women are pulled through time at once.

I enjoyed the world that Hunter created for the Skaraven clan.  They’ve been brought back to life and basically pulled through time as well so it’s an adjustment for them as well as Althea – just in a different way.  They seemed to be good men, for the most part and cared about each other.  As they’d never even been allowed to speak with a female before they died, having Althea there was a big change for them.

Althea and Brennus’s romance was more of a falling in love then a romance per se.  I enjoyed them getting to know each other I just wish they’d had more time. With the women being held, and their focus on getting them free, it was difficult for Brennus and Althea to get to know each other thoroughly, imho, and that rushed things a bit, in my mind.

I was a little confused at first as to what was going on with the evil druids but soon caught up.  I wish their history would have been more obvious to me – I think I would have understood things better throughout the book.

Overall it was a decent read and I will read the next book when it comes out to see what happens next.

3.5 out of 5

Immortal Highlander: Clan Skaraven